Beautiful Cruel World
by SugarGlazed
Summary: She believed the sky was hers to own; he yearned to give her the world beyond the confines of the Underground. But unfortunate events tore them apart; set them as enemies in a game neither of them could ever possibly win. To survive, they have to first get out of their prison, no matter the cost.
1. Sugar and Cyanide

_Poor weak bastard._

Isabel hummed a jaunty tune and pranced around the corpse of a man she knew all too well. His name she could never remember, and she figured that to remember it now would be a waste of time – him being dead and all. This didn't mean he wasn't valuable to her and the gang; he was incredibly valuable. But only because he was employed by them to pick up the only resource they could not obtain in the Underground; gas for the ODM gear.

And he did not deliver. Poor weak bastard indeed.

It was only a matter of time before Isabel or one of the others tracked him down. However, someone else beat them to the punch. This saved them the trouble of dirtying their hands, but upon discovering his body – in an alley near the red-light district – they also realized that he had been mugged. All his money was gone; the money Isabel and her gang awarded him for the job.

She blew a sigh and kicked his body with the outsole of her brown knee boots. It landed on his shoulder and knocked him onto his back – she then kicked him again for good measure.

Furlan noticed and cut short Levi to fuss at her. "Stop that. He's already dead, so there's no reason to beat up on him like that." Not to mention his body had not yet been reported to the MPs. There was no telling what they'd find.

Isabel stuck her tongue out at him. "He took our money. I was only giving him what he deserves."

The frustrated blond rolled his eyes. He had no time to play; he and Levi were attempting to figure out who had the crate now. Levi had been trying to remember all he could about the man – what family he had left or where he lived – before Isabel acted up.

"Sorry. You were saying," he said with a sigh.

Levi shook his head. "Nothing; there's nothing I remember about him that might help us. He was a bottom feeder hooked on Opium when I first heard about him."

"Maybe ask around. See if he had a dealer," Furlan suggested. "He might have owned someone; suffered because of it."

Isabel leaned down and took a look at the body. Her nose curled up almost instantly. "He suffered alright. Guy was knifed in the dick."

_Knifed in the what? _Furlan shot her a look of shock. Who would do such a thing? Levi warned him that some people in the Underground fought dirty, but he had never come across a person who actually had this done to them.

The green eyed girl tossed up her hands in defense. "Big brother says it all the time. Don't get mad at me."

"You sure he was knifed in the dick?" Levi grabbed the bridge of his nose in annoyance. He sincerely hoped she was not mistaken.

Isabel snickered – _told you so_ – and shook her head. "I can't see the wound, but there's blood on his pants … near his dick."

Levi gave her a look; one that warned her not to say it again. He then moved closer to the body and examined the wound.

There was lots of blood on the crotch of his pants – too much to determine where the actual cut was made – but he hadn't been knifed in the dick. He had been knifed in the femoral artery.

It was as Levi had feared.

"That brat," he groaned.

Furlan puckered a brow. "What brat?"

"Camilla is the one who killed him. She cut a main artery in his thigh; he bled out fairly quick."

_Shit! _Levi grabbed his nose again. "I need to visit the Rose."

Isabel was not in agreement. The Black Rose was a place he should never visit alone. Did he honestly think speaking with that woman was a good idea? She was a thorn in their side; a danger to their little business.

"At least let us go with you. Three is better than one – _she fights dirty._"

Levi shook his head. He would never allow his gang to put themselves in danger because of him. "It would be easier if the two of you stayed here."

"No it wouldn't," Isabel argued. "She might use this as an opportunity to ki––

Furlan quickly butted in. "We trust you to make the right decision, don't we Isabel?"

"Yeah, whatever." She was too mad to argue. There was nothing she could do or say to make him change his mind anyhow.

Levi quietly expressed his thanks. But if anything should go wrong, then he'd be on his own.

* * *

It occurred to Levi – when strolling in through the swinging doors of The Rose – that Camilla may not be there. However, this was not the case; she was indeed there.

He was in a way thankful to be right.

The young woman in question was sitting with her back against the wall near the entrance. Levi figured it was so she could monitor the traffic in and out of the tavern. She and her company were frequent dwellers, so he assumed she was not alone.

It was a shock that he had not been attacked yet; she had her eyes on him.

In her hand was a deck of playing cards – the sleeves of her white button down were unfastened and most likely loaded with high cards or throwing knives. Her dark hair was hidden beneath the same wool newsboy cap that Levi had seen her in many times before. One might even confuse her with a man if not for the large pair of breasts she was flaunting.

Levi moved towards her and sat with his back to the door. It was a novice move; one that might get him killed, but he wanted to show her that he was not a threat.

"We need to have a word."

Camilla puckered her brow. "Serious business, I assume. It would have to be serious for you to pull such a risky move."

Her bright eyes darted across the room, then up to the rafters above her head. A clever and beautiful woman she was. Levi knew she was hunting for Isabel and Furlan. When she was sure neither of them were going to attempt a sneak attack on her, Levi watched her lean back and shuffle the deck of worn out cards she was previously messing with.

"And without your strays," Camilla added. She moved the deck across the table and smiled as he took it, dealing her a hand before doing the same for himself.

Levi agreed with a brief nod. "I asked them to stay behind, though I doubt you are without your own brats."

He glanced at his face down cards. Such was his luck; a shit hand.

"Nothing ever gets passed you, does it?"

Camilla lifted two fingers. Levi knew he was right.

"Let me guess," he stated. "The signal to sick your dogs on me is by tapping on the table."

She snorted in laughter and deliberately set her fingertips on top of her face down cards. He was so tense; she couldn't help but to mess with him a bit. Drumming her nails on the table top, she watched Levi clinch his jaw. Somewhere on his person was a knife, she knew so. She also knew that none of her people could ever take him on by themselves.

This fact upset her, but she covered it up with a laugh. "Don't be so edgy, Lee. I would never risk putting my family in danger over something like this. You came to me, and it would be rude of me to attack you without first hearing you out."

She again drummed her fingers. "I call … and the signal is first blood. You taught me that; fight to live."

_And if you have to fight dirty, then do so. _He remembered; it wasn't so long ago when he told her this bit of advice. She was the monster that he created.

Levi took a deep breath and laid out the first three cards. He wasn't going to play this game of whose got the bigger dick with her for much longer.

"You killed a man who worked for me. He was tasked with securing a crate of gas cans for the ODM gear we're in possession of. I have every right to believe that you are now in custody of those items of interest to me," he explained as he gauged her expression.

She honestly looked confused. Her brow puckered. "Crate you say. I have no earthly idea what you are talking about. What reason would I need that shit for? None of my people even know how to use the ODM gear."

Levi knew that she was not lying. Though, she acted as if he never even mentioned the man that worked for him. "You are right about one thing; none of your people have the skill to correctly use the ODM gear. But then why did you kill my employee and steal the crate? Are you looking for a war? You might have got away with making it seem like a typical mugging, but you left a calling card – a stab to the femoral artery. Does that sound at all familiar?"

"I can't understand why you ever ask me about these things if you have it all figured out. What do you want me to say? I killed your man? He was a thief; he died because he stole from me."

She chuckled at the bemused look on his face. "Oh my! You don't know about the deal. I can't believe there is something even you don't have control over. This is too rich."

Resting her hand against her chest, the elated woman took a breath to calm herself. "He was a client of mine, although, at the time I had no clue he was one of yours. Imagine how surprised I was when he leaked that bit of information to me."

She paused to chuckle again. "I wonder if he thought that would save him? The shit that oozed from his mouth. Mercy me! I could probably sink you and the ground you stand on."

"Get back on topic, brat. I didn't come here to see you wave your dick around."

Camilla snorted in disgust – how charming. His mouth still had no filter; she definitely did not miss that. "Right … like I was saying. He hired my family to do a job for him – retrieve the merchandise – but he did not give us the money he owed, so I tracked him down and personally took him out."

It made a little sense now. Levi should have seen it coming. The employee was only valuable to him because he had ties beyond the Underground – a brother in the MPs – but like Camilla stated earlier, he was a bit of a coward. He must have hired the Flora Company to pick the crate up from the checkpoint, but did not pay them after the job was done. Camilla had every right to kill him – Levi would have done the same. Even so, something did not add up.

What did he do with the crate she picked up? And why hire them when for months he'd been doing the job himself.

"Was that the only thing he said to you before you killed him? Me being his employer? He didn't offer the crate in exchange for his life?"

Camilla tapped her head. "He might have, but I'm having trouble remembering exactly what it was. What business is it of mine? I got the money he owed me."

"There is a reward in it for you," Levi mentioned with a grunt. "Tell me exactly what he said and I will give you something in return."

He honestly hated to do business with her. Camilla was always asking for more than she already had. This was part of the reason she and him were at war. The other part was history.

"Anything I want?"

Levi hesitantly agreed with a nod. He should have said no; he knew better than to say yes.

Bending over the table, she laid out the final two cards and added her own to them. She won the pot – if ever there was one.

"Lucky me," she said with a smile.

The bored young man curled up his nose. He knew she had been cheating; he taught her how to do this too.

"He mentioned a name; a whore in the red light district who goes by Selia."

Levi again curled his nose in disgust, but at least he got the information he needed. He was ready to get out of this tavern. Pulling himself from the chair, he kept his attention on the elated young woman seated ahead of him. She might stab him in the back if he turned from her before she was finished.

"Are we done?"

She nodded. "You can leave anytime you like; I will be in touch. But, just so you know, the crate you mentioned was not the only one we picked up from the checkpoint."

"And you are just now mentioning this? How many?"

What was going on? Levi only knew of one crate. The jovial expression on her face made him want to choke her. She lifted three fingers, and suddenly he understood; someone was playing him.

"There's someone else with ODM gear in this city."


	2. Only Human

A knock on the front door woke him from a short nap. Furlan groaned in irritation as he stood; exhaustion once again caught up and put him out at the dinner table instead of his bed. He hated when this happened. It meant that he was working too hard.

As he stumbled across the room, his ankles and back popped in sudden protest. He scratched his stomach and tore open the door but no one was there. The sun was barely up yet; the oil lamps were burned down and barely visible. Furlan thought it may have been his imagination – the kind exhaustion sometimes played on people – but just as he was about to turn and go back inside, his eyes caught sight of something.

There was a note stuck to the door, addressed to Levi. Furlan quickly snatched it down and moved inside.

"Who was at the door?"

Furlan glanced at Levi with a look of surprise. Of course he was awake; he never seemed to sleep more than two hours a night and each time he arose looking just as rested as Isabel did when she got more than nine hours. He envied his friend for this. No telling how much he could get done if only two hours were enough to rejuvenate him.

"No telling," the blond said with a yawn. He waved the letter in the air out in front of himself. "But they stuck this on the door. It's addressed to you."

Levi puckered a brow. A letter for him? Who could it be from? Usually clients went to Furlan before going to him – he wasn't much of a conversationalist like Furlan was.

Taking the letter from him, Levi began to read it. A groan of irritation left him – he honestly didn't need this kind of shit today.

"Whose it from?"

Furlan was merely curious. He never expected to get an answer, but to his surprise, the letter was handed back to him.

_Camilla!? _Furlan recognized the unique way she wrote. He ignored the dread that filled his stomach and skimmed over the information she felt generous enough to give them.

The letter mentioned that her company had found Selia – the prostitute that Levi said might know where the crates are. Her name was not in the employment books of any brothel in the Underground, on account of her being underaged. That explained why Furlan could not find her. How in the hell did Camilla of all people get this information? He gave up three nights of sleep to find her.

A sigh of annoyance left him. "I swear that woman is pure evil. What I can't understand is why she's giving us this information. If she knows where Selia is, then why doesn't she just go retrieve the crates herself?"

"She wants me to give her that reward I promised," Levi explained. He was stacking wood to build a fire. The house was rather chilly in the morning; he didn't mind the cold, but Isabel did.

Furlan couldn't hide the smile that forced its way across his face. Good thing Levi had his back turned; he wouldn't have been happy. _Seems like someone spoiled her a little too much._

"Guess that explains why she wrote as a afternote that she'd meet you there," Furlan mentioned.

Levi grunted in annoyance. "That brat is always sticking her damn nose where it doesn't belong. She's going to get herself killed if she isn't careful."

What did he honestly expect? He taught her to be aware of everything that went down in the city. She was just too greedy to stay out of whatever business was being done.

"I see. You plan to meet with her, don't you? To be certain she doesn't get into trouble."

He didn't want to – she was capable of taking care of herself – but in light of recent events, Levi knew that keeping Camilla safe was the lesser of two evils. Whoever stole the crates was looking to incite a war; better to have her on his side, rather than against him.

"This business with my past. I never meant for you or Isabel to get involved," Levi mentioned quietly.

Furlan puckered a brow. "You're just now telling us? It's not a problem. Isabel and I will give you time, but sooner or later you'll have to right your wrongs."

"Kill her, you mean?"

The blond nodded in agreement. He said nothing else and decided to get some sleep. The letter he tossed in the fire on his way up to the bedrooms.

Levi watched it shrivel up and burn to ashes.

_He's right … and it should be me the one to put her out of her misery. _

* * *

Punctual as always – something he appreciated about his former apprentice; she never kept him waiting.

Levi met with her outside the brothel she mentioned in the letter; a small business on Loveless Avenue known only as Divine. There was a sign outside the door with more written on it, but Levi could not read it due to the words being so worn.

He stood and watched her for a moment in silence. She was alone, open to danger, but he knew that she wasn't completely unarmed. Her pants were a tad bit too big for her – held up by suspenders that pushed her button down close enough to her skin that he could see the outline of the garment she wore over her breasts.

In her hand was a metal file with a hook on the end that she was using to pick the dirt out from beneath her fingernails with. He knew to be careful around her if ever he got too close.

Once she caught sight of him – Levi was almost certain she was just ignoring him until now – he watched her raise a brow and tuck the file away into her right cuff.

"You got my letter," she chirped. A smile graced her pretty face. "I would have come in, but I had a feeling I wasn't welcomed there."

Levi narrowed his eyes. It was too early for her jokes. "Leading me around is not in your best interest. This had better not be a lie."

_Does he think I have nothing better to do? _Camilla rolled her eyes. "My informant can be trusted. All we have to do is ask the right questions and hope she hasn't spilled to someone else."

He puckered a brow. "We? I never said you'd be trailing along."

"Do I have to remind you that I don't take orders from you? I feel like we have this same conversation every time we meet."

She crossed her arms beneath her chest and continued. "Show me a little respect, Lee. If not for my informant you and the strays would still be chasing ghosts."

Realizing how dry this conversation had gotten, Camilla turned and went for the door. She should have known better than to turn her back to Levi – basic fucking rule.

He closed the gap between them and grabbed her arm.

"This isn't your concern. You said it yourself; you got the money."

She nodded in agreement. "I did say that, didn't I? But I also remember you telling me that I could have anything I want. There's something in those crates that is of interest to you – besides the gas canisters – and I want a piece of it."

"I have no way of knowing what's inside those crates, but I can assure you that whoever paid for them will come after you when they find out that you have them. I'm warning you, brat. It's none of your business," Levi explained. His grip on her upper arm grew tighter. To hell with her and the attitude she was giving him.

Camilla grunted in pain. Who in the actual fuck did he think he was talking to? She tore her arm from him with enough force that it burned for a brief moment. "Don't you dare underestimate me. I can damn well take care of myself and the ones I look after. This shit you're pulling – the concern for my well-being – needs to stop."

"Walk away; last chance."

She ignored him and stormed into the brothel. Fuck him! Levi was not in control of her anymore. He had no say-so when it came to how she lived her life – not anymore.

A bell above the door chimed as she stepped into the foyer. It confused her a moment, but once it rang again – to signal another client; this being Levi – she understood what it meant. Her bright eyes shot a look of contempt his way, but she said nothing as he moved to stand beside her.

Her silence did not continue long; not when she became aware of how pitiful the state of the room was in: four walls built of stone but weakened by time, mostly bare. It was like a basement; a foul and musty smelling basement.

"How can anyone stomach this? It's disgusting."

Levi narrowed his eyes in concern. Her body visibly shook in discomfort, but he wasn't sure for what reason. The best he could offer her was the truth in terms of his opinion.

"Humans are disgusting; don't think too much into it. The world is cruel and nothing is ever going to change."

She snorted in anguish and opened her mouth to respond, but a heavy door opened across from them and a woman emerged from a softly lit room. A puzzled look crossed her cute face, but she masked it with a fake smile.

"Welcome … can I be of assistance? My name is Tilly."

Camilla nodded in agreement. "We want to rent a room. One of your girls is of interest to us."

"Jointly? It's not uncommon for couples to come in here and share a girl, but the rates are a bit higher," the woman explained. She curled her arms beneath her chest and glanced between the two. "Is that going to be a problem?"

_Not uncommon? _Camilla felt annoyed by this. People in the Underground would do anything for money, and those with money wasted it on useless things. If not for her own personal gain, she wouldn't be here, wasting her money on this.

"It's not a problem. I'm merely here to observe," she stated.

The painted woman smiled. "Wonderful. Some spice to liven up the woes of marriage. Tell me … what kind of girl are you looking for?"

"Young; pretty. He likes them obedient."

Levi shot her a look of content, but she ignored it. He knew that she didn't like this sort of thing; prostitution. Her jokes were a way of easing the pain she felt.

"We have a few girls who fit those conditions," Tilly stated. "If you like, I can have them line up and let your husband take his pick."

He cut in on their conversation before Camilla said something to make him mad. "Her name is Selia; the girl we're here to see."

"Selia? I'm afraid you have been misled. There is no one here by that name."

_A liar among many other things. _The brunette snorted in annoyance. "We're prepared to match whatever rate you offer. She's not a very well-kept secret if you rent her out to the MPs as a means to keep them quiet. I'm almost willing to bet she's not the youngest here."

Levi widened his eyes. How did she know the MPs were involved? Just how far had her roots spread? He didn't know as much about Camilla as he thought. And from the looks of it – by how stunned the greeter was – her information was spot on.

"Just … just let me see if she's available."

The uneasy woman bobbed her head and fled into the room behind the heavy door. It locked behind her.

"How did you know about the MPs? Are you in league with them too, brat?"

_For her sake, she better hope not._

"And what if I am? Are you going to slap me on the hand and tell me I've been a bad girl?"

Levi shot her a look of resentment. He really was not playing with her – she backed down.

"It was a rumor I heard," she explained with a sigh. His anger was not something to tread on. "Drunk soldiers have loose lips; the ones in the MP brigade do anyway."

A rumor; she bet her money on a rumor? That wasn't like her. Levi wondered if she was desperate. He sighed deeply. "Know your facts before you charge head first into a situation like this. You could have fucked it up for the both of us."

She opted not to say anything. His advice was not to be taken lightly. She learned that the hard way, once upon a time ago. A dead silence fell over them until Tilly returned. She had a smile on her face that screamed trouble.

Insisting that the rates were much higher than first posed, she took all the money that the brunette had on her.

Camilla was only able to pay for 20 minutes alone with Selia. This was fine, but a part of her was angry for being conned so easily. She had to remember that this was the only way to see the girl – besides to have her kidnapped. It was a steep price to pay, but one worth the hassle.

She and Levi followed the woman into a private room beyond the heavy door in the foyer. The inside was just as bare – a small bed with red sheets was the only exception; it laid against the far wall as a reminder to what could have been.

Pity; this was how she felt. The girls who worked here deserved much better.

They were left to get comfortable as the greeter went to get Selia – due to the nature of the room they settled on standing. The girl was the only one to return.

She wore a dress with a blue front laced corset over top. The fabric moved against her slender legs as she came into the room and sat on the edge of the bed. Her stomach churned with unease. Her clients were a couple, Tilly informed her, but only the short male was going to handle her. She gave her full attention to him, even though the brunette was watching her in interest.

"How may I service you, sir?"

Levi narrowed his eyes. He had no intention of playing this out. "We're not here for that; we're here to ask you some questions."

"I … don't understand." Selia was confused. No one ever wanted to just speak with her.

Camilla stepped forward. "Did you know Finn Wagner? He was a client of mine for a short amount of time."

"He was my father," Selia mentioned quietly. Her eyes narrowed and moved to the floor.

The brunette curled up her nose. What kind of father would allow his daughter to work as a prostitute? He obviously had been using her to pay off his debt.

"How much does he owe you?"

This pretty much proved her assumption; he was using her. Camilla even bet that he guilted her into this kind of work. She waved her hand to dismiss the question.

"He doesn't owe me anything. However, the last time I saw him, Finn mentioned you by name. He said that something was left with you; we came here to collect it."

Selia brought up her hand and placed it on her chest. "He said you would come. I assume you work for Stefan then?"

_Stefan? _Levi wondered if he was the other ODM gear user. He'd have to be; no one else in the city would be interested in those crates.

Before anything could be said to ruin their chances, he shook his head in agreement. Camilla shot him a look of contempt, but Levi did not care.

"I was asked to pass along a key to Stefan or whomever he sent from MOCKINGBIRD." She retrieved a bronze key and handed it over to Levi. "My father owns a box at the storehouse; number 13. What you are looking for should be there."

Camilla faked a smile. "Thank you for helping us. Both you and Flinn have done us a great favor."

"Have you seen him? My father, I mean. He usually comes by to check up on me but I've not seen nor heard from him in weeks."

She lied and shook her head. "Can't say I have. Might do you some good to get out of this business though. It's no place for children."

Selia bowed her head in shame. "I know, but you don't understand how rough it is. You don't see what my father and I ha––

A loud smack echoed around the room. Camilla drew back her arm and glared at the ignorant girl. "Don't speak to me about how rough life is. I know all about it. Life sucks, but I sure as hell don't make excuses."

Frightened tears poured down her flustered cheeks. Selia covered her mouth but her loud sobs broke free.

It bothered Camilla to no end. She bent down and brushed back Selia's hair. "You are a pretty face … but there is a hell of a lot more to you then that. Take my advice and get out of here before it's too late."

She then stormed out of the room with Levi not far behind. He stood at a distance from her as she leaned against the wall outside the brothel.

"You have something to say, don't you? I want to hear it."

Levi had a lot to ask her. Why she neglected to tell Selia about what happened to her father? What she was going to do with the information she just learned? He wanted to know, but he figured his questions could wait.

"It's not important," he retorted. Moving passed her, Levi began to head back towards the house he was staying at with Isabel and Farlan. "Later we're going to retrieve the crates. Bring whoever to help you carry them back."

Camilla snorted. _There he goes, telling me what to do again. _She pushed off the wall and headed in the opposite direction. She craved a bath. Being in that place made her feel gross; it always did.

A lone tear fell down her cheek.


End file.
